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Pre-Bankruptcy Briefing
Before You File for Personal Bankruptcy:
The Bankruptcy Reform act of 2005 requires, with limited exceptions, that people who file for personal bankruptcy protection must get credit counseling from a government approved organization within 180 days before they file.
A pre-bankruptcy counseling session with
an approved credit counseling organization should
include an evaluation of your personal financial
situation, a discussion of alternatives to bankruptcy,
and a personal budget plan. Is this something akin to
marriage counseling before divorce?
A typical counseling session should last about 30 minutes, and can take place in person, on the phone, or online. Generally the non-profit company will see whether they can assist you in a plan to pay off your credit card debts by lowering your interest rates
The counseling organization is required to provide the counseling free of charge for those consumers who cannot afford to pay. If you cannot afford to pay a fee for credit counseling, you should request a fee waiver from the counseling organization before the session begins. Otherwise, you may be charged a fee for the counseling, which will generally be about $50, depending on where you live, the types of services you receive, and other factors. The counseling organization is required to discuss any fees with you before starting the counseling session.
Once you have completed the required counseling, you must get a certificate as proof. Check with our office to be sure that you receive the certificate from a counseling organization that is approved in the judicial district where you are filing bankruptcy. Credit counseling organizations may not charge an extra fee for the certificate.
You may already know that you need to file bankruptcy. You must still provide our office with this certificate before we file your case, and we recommend that you begin take this first step as soon as possible.
A typical counseling session should last about 30 minutes, and can take place in person, on the phone, or online. Generally the non-profit company will see whether they can assist you in a plan to pay off your credit card debts by lowering your interest rates
The counseling organization is required to provide the counseling free of charge for those consumers who cannot afford to pay. If you cannot afford to pay a fee for credit counseling, you should request a fee waiver from the counseling organization before the session begins. Otherwise, you may be charged a fee for the counseling, which will generally be about $50, depending on where you live, the types of services you receive, and other factors. The counseling organization is required to discuss any fees with you before starting the counseling session.
Once you have completed the required counseling, you must get a certificate as proof. Check with our office to be sure that you receive the certificate from a counseling organization that is approved in the judicial district where you are filing bankruptcy. Credit counseling organizations may not charge an extra fee for the certificate.
You may already know that you need to file bankruptcy. You must still provide our office with this certificate before we file your case, and we recommend that you begin take this first step as soon as possible.
A Short List Of Approved Agencies for you:
2181 El Camino Real
Oceanside , CA 92054
760-757-3838
2. Spring Board Non-Profit Consumer Credit Management
229 F Street Ste. F
Chula Vista , CA 91910
619-422-6902
3. Spring Board Non-Profit Consumer Credit Management
3443 Camino del Rio South Ste. 123
San Diego , CA 92108
619-280-4416
4. Spring Board Non-Profit Consumer Credit Management
7710 Balboa Avenue Ste. 218F
San Diego , CA 92111
858-715-6980
